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Choosing The Right Teacher For Your Vocal Lessons

Do you believe you have a good singing voice and want to work with a voice teacher to maximize your potential? For many, singing is a passion and working with a good voice teacher can make the difference between a successful career or singing in the church choir. Finding a good voice teacher for vocal lessons can be challenging. When you are searching for a good voice teacher, you will soon discover that many people who say they can teach voice actually know very little about how to correctly develop and train a person’s voice.

You may have success checking with institutes such as the Ontario Conservatory of Music. These schools typically employ professionals who are educated in how to teach voice. When searching for the perfect voice teacher, there are several things to consider.

First, you’ll need to decide what you want to do with your voice. You may want to build your vocal range or improve your stage presence. It is important to choose an instructor who knows what they are doing and will help you achieve your personal goals. Discuss your goals with all prospective teachers and how they will help you reach these goals.

Next, ensure the teacher can teach in the style you prefer. For example, if you want to sing opera, you’ll need a voice teacher trained in that form of voice. There are many different singing styles and not all teachers can teach all styles. Be sure and have this discussion before signing up for lessons.

It is also important that your voice teacher be able to teach vocal technique. Some voice teachers will only teach you songs or repertoire and perhaps provide tips for improving musicianship but are not trained in how to build your voice.

Some voice teachers will claim they know how to teach vocal technique but are not actually trained in how the voice works. These teachers may simply be pulling exercises from a book and have no idea how to truly teach vocal technique and build your voice.

This is why it is important to check the voice teacher’s credentials. Do they have a degree in voice or music instruction? Do they also play the piano so they can accompany you? Have they performed as a professional singer?

The best voice teachers will have a combination of music education and professional performing experience. They should also be able to provide references of students they’ve trained who are doing well. Ask the teacher for CDs or other recordings of both their students’ work and their own.

Finally, look for a voice teacher who offers performing opportunities. It is a very different experience to sing in a studio and to sing on stage. Voice lessons should always include opportunities to sing in front of an audience.

Finding the right voice teacher can take time. You may go through a few before you find the perfect fit. When you leave your first lesson feeling like you sang in a way you never realized you could, you’ve found the right teacher for your vocal lessons.